Former Councillor Raises Serious Safety Concerns Over Romford Town Centre Construction Site.
Former Havering councillor and former Places Overview & Scrutiny Committee Chairman David Taylor has called for an urgent investigation after reports that demolition debris fell from the former Santander redevelopment site in Romford town centre, narrowly missing a member of the public.
Mr Taylor has submitted formal reports to both Havering Council and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), calling for an investigation into the reported incident and for assurances that appropriate measures are in place to protect pedestrians using one of Romford’s busiest shopping areas.
The redevelopment site is accessed via the pedestrianised area between South Street and Exchange Street, requiring heavy construction vehicles to cross public paving throughout the demolition and construction works.
He has also raised concerns about the condition of the pedestrianised paving, asking the Council to ensure any damage caused by construction traffic is identified and repaired before it becomes a hazard to residents.
Speaking after submitting the reports, Mr Taylor said:
“If the reports are accurate, this was a near miss that could easily have ended in tragedy.
Thousands of people walk through this part of Romford every day. Nobody should have to worry about falling debris while walking through our town centre.
I support regeneration and investment in Romford, but public safety must always come first. Construction work inevitably causes disruption, but there is no excuse for members of the public being placed at unnecessary risk.
I’ve asked Havering Council to investigate the reported incident, confirm what safety measures are in place to protect pedestrians, and ensure the condition of the surrounding public realm is properly monitored.
I’ve also referred the matter to the Health and Safety Executive, which is responsible for regulating construction site safety.
Residents rightly expect development to be carried out safely and professionally. If improvements are needed, they should be made before someone is seriously injured.”
Taylor has asked both organisations to confirm what action they intend to take and says he will publish their responses once received.
A spokesperson for Havering Council told the Havering Daily:
“We are aware of the recent report of falling debris at the former Santander redevelopment site in Romford town centre and take concerns relating to public safety extremely seriously.
“Fortunately, no one was injured and while the Council has licensed the site hoarding, we are not undertaking the demolition or construction works.
“To ensure that all necessary safety measures are in place and being followed, we have referred this matter to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the responsible authority for investigating and enforcing health and safety requirements relating to construction and workplace activities.
“We have also spoken to the contractor on-site and asked them to undertake their own investigation into the reported incident, we will continue to liaise with all relevant parties.
“We will continue to monitor the condition of the surrounding public realm to help ensure the safety of residents and visitors using the town centre.”
A video sent to Mr Taylor-PLEASE NOTE: The video has loud swearing in it.
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That’s a HSE problem that should have been resolved on all the risk assessments. stop work and re access the situation